


Who We Are

by WordsInTimeAndSpace



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/F, Female Doctor (Doctor Who), Soulmate AU, fem!doctor - Freeform, fem!ten
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-26
Updated: 2017-07-03
Packaged: 2018-10-11 01:46:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10452219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WordsInTimeAndSpace/pseuds/WordsInTimeAndSpace
Summary: When her 18th birthday and with that the appearance of her soulmark approaches, Rose is sure that it will only confirm Jimmy Stone as her soulmate. The realization that it’s not him turns her life upside down, especially when she meets Jane Smith, also known as the Doctor, only a few weeks later.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to asmilelikestarlight/ofhopesanddreams for the beta!
> 
> I am very excited for this story, and while I know that fem!Ten is not everyone's cup of tea, I hope a few of you will be excited as well. :)

Rose nervously tapped her fingers on the beer bottle in her hands, a quick rhythm that didn’t quite match the music blaring from the CD player in the corner of the living room. Laughter reached her ears as Keisha and Shareen giggled over a story one of them just shared with the others, but Rose hadn’t been listening. With a sigh, she glanced at the clock on the other side of the room. For a moment, she watched the seconds tick by, slowly but surely approaching midnight. Rose rolled her tense shoulders and let out a long breath, trying to calm the anxiety coursing through her veins. 

This was it, after all. The big day. She should be excited, but instead she only felt nervous. It was only an hour to go until her birthday, an hour until she turned eighteen, and Jimmy wasn’t there. She wanted him to be at her side when her soulmark was finally revealed, but he was late. Again.

Absently, Rose brushed her fingers over the skin of her wrist, the exact spot where her soulmark had started to become visible in the last few days. It had started with faded grey lines that grew deeper over time, forming a small box on the inside of her wrist. Now it was only a matter of minutes until the counter would appear within it.

Everyone on Earth carried this soulmark on their skin. The exact mechanics were still one of the biggest unsolved mysteries of science, but the principle was always the same. The clock appeared when someone turned eighteen, starting at zero and counting up until they met their soulmate. Right in that second the counter would stop, showing the days, hours, minutes and seconds from their eighteenth birthday to that fateful meeting for the rest of their lives. Numbers etched to the skin, tying the life of one person to the life of another. Two numbers that showed without a doubt that two humans belonged together.

Rose smiled at the thought. She already knew Jimmy was her soulmate, but in a short while she would finally be able to prove it to everyone who doubted her. She knew her counter would stop right after it appeared, like it always did when someone had already met their soulmate before they turned eighteen. 

Rose startled as her phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket, letting out a relieved breath when she saw Jimmy’s name on the display.

“Hi,” she answered, grinning as she waited for the confirmation that Jimmy was finally on his way to see her.

“Hey babe,” Jimmy said on the other end of the line. The tone in his voice was enough to make Rose’s stomach drop. “Sorry, I’m not gonna make it tonight.”

“What, but-” Rose started. She took a deep breath, speechless for a second. “Jimmy, it’s my birthday. Shouldn’t you be done with band practise by now?” She could hear voices in the background, laughing and hollering, and tried hard not to think about what that could mean.

“Look, I told you we have that gig next weekend. We really need to practise. Our drummer is playing like shit.”

“But…” Rose started, trailing off when she didn’t know what to say. Tears stung in her eyes, blurring her vision. Jimmy heaved a sigh on the other side of the lane.

“Look, babe. I really am sorry,” he said, his voice turning softer for just a moment. “We’ll spend tomorrow together instead, yeah? It’s still your birthday then.”

“I… I thought about dropping by mum’s tomorrow. Haven’t seen her in a while,” Rose protested.

“Oh, come on,” Jimmy answered, irritation creeping in his voice. “I’ll take you out for chips and we can go to that park you like, okay? It’s gonna be fun. You can visit your mum next week. It’s not like she’s going anywhere.”

Rose sighed, knowing that this was an argument she couldn’t win. And spending the day with Jimmy did sound nice - it had been ages since they’d done that, just the two of them. A day alone with her soulmate. Jimmy was right, it would be fun. Rose forced a smile on her lips, trying to bury her irritation underneath her excitement for the next day.

“Okay,” she finally said. “We’ll do that. But don’t be home too late tonight, yeah?”

“Yeah, sure. I’ll try,” Jimmy said before ringing off.

Rose set the phone down with a sigh. Her friends had turned silent and were watching her instead. Rose kept her gaze down, not wanting to see the concern on their faces.

“He’s not coming?” Shareen asked and Rose shook her head, hesitantly meeting her friend’s eyes. 

“No, he’s got band practise. Takes longer than he thought it would.”

“Oh darling, I’m sorry,” Shareen said, rushing to Rose’s side and wrapping an arm around her. Rose leaned into her touch, grateful for the comfort.

“I’ll see him tomorrow. It’s all right,” she said, hoping that she sounded more convincing than she felt.

“Course it is. You’ve got us!” Shareen exclaimed, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. “Keisha, get her another beer! We’re still gonna celebrate your birthday!”

Rose couldn’t help but smile. Shareen’s good mood was always infectious, no matter what. Before she knew it, she had another drink in her hands and her friends were surrounding her around the small coffee table, chatting and laughing, pushing her disappointment to the back of her mind. Rose nearly forgot that midnight was coming closer, until Keisha shrieked and pointed to the clock.

“Five minutes!” she exclaimed, moving closer to Rose. “How’s your soulmark looking now?”

Rose pulled her sleeve back, revealing the small box that had turned from faded grey to nearly black. “Nearly there,” Rose said, her heart skipping a beat. She grinned, the excitement making her giddy.

“Oh, that looks exactly like mine before it started,” Keisha said, revealing her wrist as well. Small black numbers flashed over her skin, counting each second. Keisha let out a sigh.

“It’s getting frustrating to watch that counter,” she complained. “It could be ages until I meet my soulmate. It’s so cool that you have already met Jimmy. It’s really rare, soulmates meeting before their marks appear on their skin.”

“My parents met before their eighteenth birthday,” Shareen chimed in. “It looks kinda weird. They both have zeros on their wrists.”

Keisha furrowed her brow. “Okay, but how did they know they’re actually soulmates? When they don’t have numbers to compare? It could’ve been someone else they met before they were eighteen.”

Rose laughed. “Have you met her parents?”

Keisha and Shareen looked at each other and dissolved into giggles.

“They’re so in love,” Shareen said with a roll of her eyes. “It’s disgusting.”

“Shut up, they’re so adorable,” Rose protested.

“For you, maybe. You don’t have to watch them snogging.”

“Quiet, you two! We have less than a minute to go!” Keisha interrupted. “Tonight is about Rose, remember?”

Rose gulped, glancing at the clock on the wall. Her heart beat faster in her chest. This was it. The moment she’d been waiting for ever since she’d met Jimmy and he’d revealed that his clock had stopped when he’d met her.

“Ten seconds!” Shareen yelled in excitement. “Come on, we’re doing a countdown!”

Giddy with excitement and nerves, Rose stared down at her wrist and listened to her friends chanting the seconds.

_Five._

The box was now nearly black, a blank space where the numbers would appear any moment.

_Four._

The numbers that would finally prove it to everyone who was doubting them. Proof for her mum, for her friends, for everyone who was worried about her ever since she had met Jimmy, dropped out of school and moved in with him on a whim. Rose had known it was the right thing to do, but now everyone else would finally see it as well.

_Three._

And it would be proof for herself, for these dark moments when doubt crawled into her thoughts. Proof that she wasn’t wasting her time, that she would be with him forever. Because he was her soulmate, and they belonged together.

_Two. One. Zero._

Holding her breath, Rose watched in fascination how the numbers popped up on her skin. A range of zeros, appearing out of thin air. A range of zeros that Rose was sure would be etched onto her skin forever. She thought she’d never seen more beautiful numbers in her life.

But all the happiness turned into dread when the unthinkable happened. The last zero turned into a one. And into a two. Three, four, five. Rose froze, staring at her wrist, unable to process what had just happened. She barely registered how her friends had gotten quiet next to her.

“But-” Rose started, her voice hoarse. She couldn’t form a clear sentence. Her mind was whirling, but she couldn’t hold on to a thought. It shouldn’t be possible.

“It can’t be,” Rose said, her voice shaking. “There’s got to be a mistake. This can’t be right!” Her voice grew louder with every word, more desperate. None of this felt real. 

But as she continued to stare at the numbers on her wrist, changing with each passing second, she realized that the possibility she hadn’t even dared to think about in the past weeks had become a painful reality. Her soulmark was counting up. And that meant that after all this time, all these months in which she had been convinced that Jimmy was her soulmate, it had all been a lie.

Her soulmate was still out there, somewhere, waiting to meet her.


	2. Chapter 2

After the appearance of her soulmark, the rest of the night passed in a haze. Rose vaguely remembered her friend’s reactions, how they had tried to cheer her up, provide explanations for the impossible thing that had just happened, but none of it had really helped to pull her out of the shock.

Instead she just felt numb, unable to process the events of the evening. Rose left early to get home, the need to be alone and think too overwhelming. When she arrived, the flat she shared with Jimmy was empty and felt more lonely and foreign than it had in months. Rose plopped down on the couch, waiting for Jimmy to come home. It terrified her to think about his reaction to her soulmark, but at the same time she longed to have him with her, only for the sake of familiarity. With Jimmy at her side, maybe it wouldn’t feel like her world had been turned upside down.

Hours passed and he didn’t show up, and when her eyes stung and exhaustion clouded her mind Rose finally headed to bed. She was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, drifting off into a deep sleep without dreams.

Rose woke the next morning, feeling groggy and exhausted. She blinked her eyes open, her mind slow to catch up. As she raised a hand to brush a strand of hair out of her face her gaze fell onto her wrist, onto the small black digits flashing across her skin. Counting up and up and up, with each passing second.

The dread Rose had felt the night before returned with full force, tying her stomach into knots. She covered her face in her hands, taking deep breaths as she tried hard not to burst into tears. Reality still hadn’t sunk in, not properly.

A snore next to her pulled Rose out of her thoughts. Jimmy was lying in bed next to her, fast asleep. She hadn’t heard him when he came home. Careful not to wake him, Rose shifted closer and turned his wrist until she could see his soulmark, the counter standing still ever since she’d met him.

She remembered the evening as if it was yesterday. It had been a friend’s party, in a small cramped flat somewhere on the Powell Estate, where she’d first bumped into him. He was older, good looking with a charming smile, and seemed to like her - that was enough for Rose to be smitten with him. They’d started talking, and later that night Jimmy had realized that his counter had stopped. He had met his soulmate that evening. When Jimmy had insisted that it had to be her, Rose hadn’t questioned it for long. She’d liked him, admired him a little after all the stories he’d shared about his rock star life, and the idea that she could be his soulmate had made her feel special and important. The thought that maybe, just maybe, it could’ve been another girl he’d met on the party was quickly forgotten.

How could she have been that stupid?

Unable to look at Jimmy’s soulmark for any second longer, Rose leaped out of bed. Had Jimmy already seen her counter when he came to bed last night? What would they do now? What would he do? Balancing on the verge of panic, Rose fled from the bedroom on shaking legs. Outside, she leant her back against the wall, taking a few deep breath in an attempt to calm down. She ran a hand over her face and finally stumbled into the kitchen to make tea. Rose was sure that for once this was something that tea couldn’t fix, but at least it gave her something to do while she waited for Jimmy to wake up.

Rose was on her second cup of tea when the door to the bedroom opened and Jimmy walked in. He yawned and smiled when his gaze fell on her. Rose tried to smile back, but didn’t succeed. Instead, she just gripped the mug in her hands a bit tighter, anxiety coursing through her veins.

“Happy Birthday babe,” Jimmy said, oblivious to her distress. He walked around the table and bent down to kiss her, but Rose ducked her head, avoiding his lips. Jimmy frowned, a flash of irritation crossing his features. Rose bit her lip, tears stinging in her eyes.

“What’s wrong?” he finally said.

Rose took a deep breath.

“Maybe you should sit down,” Rose suggested. Her voice was small, sounding weak and vulnerable in the heavy silence that fell between them. After a moment of hesitation Jimmy finally complied.

Rose opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn’t form a clear sentence. Instead, she just pulled her sleeve down, reached out to Jimmy, and turned her wrist upside down.

The following silence was deafening. Rose kept her gaze fixed on her soulmark, not daring to look up to see Jimmy’s face. Afraid of the disappointment that she was sure she would find there. Her hand trembled and she pulled her arm back, covering the mark with her sleeve. She didn’t want to see these numbers on her skin, didn’t want to think about what it meant, for her, for her life, for them.

“Shit,” Jimmy finally said, breaking the silence. He got up to pace the kitchen, not meeting her eyes.

In that moment, it was all too much. Before Rose could stop it, tears fell down her cheeks and she was sobbing into her hands, letting out the fear and misery that had bottled up inside her since midnight.

“Hey,” Jimmy said, still on the other side of the kitchen. “Don’t cry.”

It only made Rose cry harder. Shoulders shaking, she tried to take a deep breath to speak, but her voice broke after barely one word. “What are we gonna do?” she finally managed to say, her voice hoarse and shaking.

“Nothing,” Jimmy said, his voice hard. “Come on, Rose.”

He finally crossed the kitchen and pulled her towards him, wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

“I don’t care what your soulmark says,” Jimmy said as Rose buried her head in his chest. “And neither should you. Why does it matter that there is someone else out there? We’re still good, yeah? We don’t need anyone else. Right?”

Rose nodded against his chest. Her sobbing had turned into quiet whimpering. She took in a shuddering breath, trying to calm down as she replayed his words in her head. He was right. It wouldn’t change anything between them. It could be years, decades even, until she met the person that was supposed to be her soulmate. She wouldn’t let that ruin her relationship with Jimmy. She still loved him, and in this moment, with his arms securely wrapped around her, Rose believed that it would be enough to make things work. That it would be that easy.

~~~

Rose left the house around noon. She quietly pulled the door closed behind her, careful not to wake Jimmy. He’d been out with the band again and came home late. He always slept until the early afternoon after nights like these, and lately it happened more often than not that Rose had to leave for her afternoon shift at Henrik’s before he got up.

She got on the bus, slumping down on the seat. Her gaze fell on her wrist and she adjusted her bracelet covering the small black numbers on her skin. She didn’t want to see them. More than that, she’d only grown to hate them in the last few weeks ever since her soulmark appeared. She tried hard to cling to her old life and the normality she was used to, but it was hard to forget the counter sometimes. Covering it up helped at least a little, helped to pretend that her life was still what it used to be.

Rose let out a sigh. She wanted to believe Jimmy when he’d said they were gonna be alright. That soulmarks didn’t matter, not necessarily. Not when you didn’t want them to. But the flashing back digits on the inside of her wrist were a constant reminder that maybe she wasn’t where she was supposed to be in life. Not with the right person. Even after a couple of weeks, that thought still terrified her.

Work was a welcomed distraction for her whirling thoughts. It was busy in the afternoon and time flew by as Rose helped out customers, rang up their purchases and tidied up the store. It was exactly what she needed to take her mind off the situation.

Later in the evening, the store got quiet. It was nearly closing hour and only a few customers strolled through the shop. Rose just folded a stack of shirts that someone had left in disarray when she noticed a young woman walking through the aisles, her nose scrunched up as she inspected the pieces of clothings around her. She stopped in front of a rack with dresses, quickly flipped through all the choices and heaved out a long, theatrical sigh, running her hands through her hair in frustration. Rose suppressed a giggle before taking pity on her.

“Can I help you?” she asked in amusement as she approached. The woman startled and whirled around to her, breaking out into a bright grin as she saw Rose. Rose couldn’t help but smile back.

“Oh, yes! I hope so!” the woman said, tugging at her hair one last time, leaving the short brown strands in disarray.

“You see, my cousin Donna is having an engagement party. Just met her soulmate two months ago!”

Rose’s smile slipped. For a second she felt like she could barely breathe, but she forced herself to take a deep, shuddering breath, trying to push the ache in her chest to the back of her mind. The other woman stopped dead in her tracks, obviously noticing her distress, but Rose quickly continued before she could ask any questions.

“You need a dress for that, I assume?” she asked, gesturing at the stand with dresses behind them.

The other woman grimaced. “Yes, well. You see, I’m not a huge fan of dresses. But Donna said I should wear a dress to look nice. I suggested to wear a suit instead but she said I’m always wearing a suit, so that wouldn’t count.”

The woman gestured down her body, clad in a brown pinstriped suit that clung to her waist and toned her legs. She wore a dark blue shirt underneath, the top buttons undone just enough to reveal a hint of a cleavage. It was unusual, but Rose had to admit it looked good on her. It certainly suited her better than the flowery dresses she had just been looking at.

The woman sighed again. “So I either have to find a dress, or a tux, maybe. But I’m not sure you sell these for women.” She tilted her head, jutting out her bottom lip, and Rose gave her an encouraging smile.

“I’m sure we can find something you’ll like,” she promised and the woman’s face lit up. Her eyes flickered down to Rose’s name tag, lingering there for a second.

“Brilliant! You’re a life safer, Rose Tyler,” she said, the name rolling off her lips in a way that made Rose’s heart jump. Confused by her own reaction to the other woman, Rose shook her head. But before she could think about what it meant, they were both startled by a loud noise. An ear-shattering, high pitched wailing filled the room. Rose needed a second to realize it was the fire alarm, but when she did, she immediately sprung into action.

Whirling around, she spotted a couple of customers, standing there rooted to the spot, not yet recovered from the shock.

“Everyone out!” Rose shouted over the noise. “To the stairs, come on.”

She ran down the aisle, ushering the startled customers towards the exit. Her eyes scanned the store, making sure that everyone was on the way out. Heart racing in her chest, she checked the last corner of this floor, relieved when she realized that everyone was already heading to safety. She was the only one left, together with the woman she had met earlier who hadn’t left her side. A bit out of breath, Rose turned back towards her.

“You as well,” she said. “Hurry up!”

“Not without you,” the woman said through gritted teeth. She grabbed her hand, making Rose look up at her in confusion.

The woman smiled when their eyes met. Something in her smile was infectious, disarming, leaving Rose with no other choice but to smile back. Warm brown eyes looked down at her, twinkling with mischief.

“Run,” the woman said, and Rose complied without thinking.

Hand in hand, they dashed through the store and towards the stairs. The fire alarm howled around them as they rushed downstairs, taking two steps at a time. Rose let out a breath when they finally made it outside, leaving the noise behind them.

There was already a group of staff members and customers forming on the street. Rose could see her store manager inside the crowd, talking into the phone. She looked back towards the building, watching smoke emerge from one of the upper windows.

“Did everyone get out?” the woman said, concern in her voice. She was still holding her hand, and Rose didn’t feel like letting go.

“Yeah, looks like it,” Rose said, scanning the crowd once again until she spotted all her colleagues working the shift with her. “Unless a customer got lost. Let’s hope the fire brigade arrives soon.”

“Okay, good, that’s good,” the woman said, nodding before she turned to Rose and let her gaze sweep over her. “You’re all right?”

Rose blushed under her examination. “I’m fine,” she stuttered, taking a deep breath.

The woman smiled, relieved, before she startled and let go of Rose’s hand.

“Oh, I never introduced myself, did I?” she rushed to say. “I’m Jane, Jane Smith. Although my mates usually call me the Doctor.”

She held out her hand again, this time for a handshake, and Rose lifted her arm as well. She froze dead in her tracks when her gaze fell onto her wrist before their hands could meet.

After all the running Rose hadn’t noticed that her bracelet had shifted, revealing her soulmark underneath. Blood pounded in her ears as Rose stared at the small black numbers on her skin. The numbers that she had nearly gotten used to changing all the time, counting up with each second, now stood terrifyingly still. Seconds ticked by, but the counter didn’t move, the numbers didn’t change. Her soulmark had stopped.

“But, when…” Rose started, trailing off when she didn’t know what to say. She felt light-headed all of the sudden, as if she couldn’t get enough air into her lungs with each breath she took.

Still in shock, Rose finally looked up. Hoping for any indication that the things that happened to her were not real. That she was just dreaming, or imagining things. But Jane’s eyes were fixed on Rose’s soulmark as well, her mouth hanging open in surprise.

“Did that - just now?” Jane asked, her voice hoarse. She finally raised her gaze to look Rose in the eye. Rose nodded, feeling numb.

A flash of emotions crossed Jane’s features - hope, excitement, anticipation? - and she hastily pulled her sleeve back. Small black numbers, just like Rose’s standing entirely still.

Jane let out a breathless laugh, awe and wonder in her voice.

“But that’s… it was still counting when I entered the store!” she exclaimed with a bright grin on her lips. “And yours stopped as well, didn’t it? Rose, that can only mean...!”

With every passing second Jane’s face seemed to light up. At the same time, the dread in Rose’s stomach just got more and more excruciating. Jane reached out for her, but Rose recoiled as if she’d been burned, taking a quick step back. The smile slipped off Jane’s face, replaced by confusion.

“No,” Rose finally managed to say, her voice shaking. “This can’t be right.”

“But… look, if we just compare the numbers-” Jane started, but Rose interrupted her before she could finish.

“No,” she said again, more determined this time. “I can’t- I don’t care what it says. This isn’t what I want. I’ve got a boyfriend and-”

Her voice broke. Tears stung in her eyes, but Rose refused to let them fall for the moment. Instead, she just shook her head, taking another step back. “I can’t do this.”

Jane’s face fell and she stared at Rose in shock, confusion and hurt apparent in her features. She looked so desperate, so crushed by her reaction, that Rose instantly wanted to take back the things she’d said. But they were still true.

“I’m sorry,” Rose said, her voice barely more than a whisper. Not knowing what else to say, she turned around to leave. She couldn’t bear to look Jane in the eye any second longer.

“Wait,” Jane called out, rushing to her side. She hesitantly reached out, touching Rose’s arm to stop her.

“Just… please wait,” she said, desperation lingering in her voice.

“I can’t,” Rose said, but she stopped, letting out a shuddering breath as she blinked back tears.

“All right,” Jane said. “That- that’s okay.” She didn’t sound like it was okay. She sounded like it was tearing her apart on the inside to let these words over her lips. “Just… wait, please. Just a second.”

There was a moment of silence and Rose turned to see Jane rummaging through her pockets until she pulled out a slip of paper and a pen. She hastily scribbled something down and pressed the paper into Rose’s hand. Feeling numb, Rose stared down at the number on the paper, realizing after a second that it was a phone number.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to have anything to do with me,” Jane explained, not able to keep her desperation out of her voice. “But I want you to have this. If you change your mind, someday. Or if you ever need anything, my help, or… I don’t know. Please, just take it.”

Unable to answer, Rose nodded slowly. She curled her fingers around the piece of paper, tears stinging in her eyes, and turned around to leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I afraid I can't do this story without angst, but I promise it'll be fixed soon... *ducks head*


	3. Chapter 3

After Rose had met Jane, a few days passed without anything happening in her life. Still in shock after the events of that day, Rose dragged herself to work every morning, went through her routines as if she was running on autopilot and crashed at home in the evenings. It still took time to get used to that thought, that she really had met her soulmate. Her soulmate who wasn’t Jimmy, but… a girl. Of all the things that could have happened, Rose hadn’t expected that.

When Friday finally came and Rose finished her working week, she was worn out and exhausted. There was a text from Shareen on her phone, asking her to go out with them, but Rose couldn’t come up with the energy to reply. She didn’t want to see her friend, not really. If she did she would have to explain the mess that was her life, and confused as she was, Rose didn’t feel up to it. She didn’t have any answers for all the questions that would come up.

Instead, Rose curled up on the couch, avoiding friends and family for another night. She zapped through the TV programs, desperately looking for something to steer her mind away from the destructive thoughts that had haunted her all week. But no matter how hard she tried, nothing really caught her attention for long.

She still hadn’t told Jimmy. He didn’t know that she had met her soulmate, and the uncertainty of his reaction left her in a constant state of anxiety that she couldn’t switch off.

All week, she’d tried to talk to him, but there never was a right time. Although they lived together, Rose barely caught sight of him. He was out every night with his friends, telling her he was practising with the band to prepare for their next gig that Jimmy insisted was the final step towards their big breakthrough. But every night he came home smelling like booze and cigarettes, making Rose wonder what he was really up to. She tried to get the truth out of him, but each time he evaded her questions or snapped at her until she stopped asking. With Jimmy gone for most of the night and sleeping in late the next day, there hadn’t been any chance to talk. Rose certainly didn’t want to have any life-changing conversations about the fact that she’d met her soulmate in passing.

Rose startled out of her thoughts when she heard a key in the lock of the front door. She looked up in surprise to see Jimmy enter the flat a second later. Confused, Rose checked to the clock and frowned when she saw it was only eleven.

“You’re early,” she said as Jimmy threw his jacket in the corridor and plopped down on the couch next to her.

“Are you complaining?” he said, his voice cold although there was a smile on his lips.

Rose shook her head. “No, just surprised.”

Jimmy scooted closer to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

“Just wanted to spend the night with my girl,” he said, nuzzling the top of her head.

Rose let out a shuddering breath, guilt tying her stomach into knots.

“Jimmy, there’s something-”, she started, but he tilted her head up and caught her lips with his before she could finish the sentence.

Rose gasped in surprise and Jimmy took the opportunity to deepen the kiss before her mind could catch up. For a moment she kissed back, too overwhelmed to do something else. But then he pulled her down until she was flat on her back and he was hovering above her, his lips still on hers. Rose gently pushed against his chest, trying to ease out of the kiss. Instead of moving away from her, Jimmy caught her wrist and guided her hand to the side, lowering himself on top of her. Rose was just about to try again with more force when Jimmy froze above her.

He tightened his grip on her wrist and sat up with a start. Rose looked up at him in confusion, but he didn’t meet her eyes. His gaze was fixed on her arm and with a pang of fear Rose realized what he must be looking at. Her soulmark.

“When did that happen?” Jimmy growled, his voice cold as ice.

“Jimmy-” Rose started quietly, trying to explain. Jimmy didn’t give her a chance.

“When?!”, he snapped, making Rose flinch.

“Last week,” she said, her voice small. She gulped, her heart racing in her chest. Hesitantly, she met Jimmy’s eyes and winced at the anger she saw there.

“And when did you want to tell me?” Jimmy spat out.

The tone in his voice, the pure hatred and rage he was directing at her, was the last straw. With a sudden wave of anger giving her the necessary strength, Rose pulled her wrist free of his grasp and shoved him away from her. Jimmy stumbled back, startled by her sudden outburst, and Rose took the chance to scramble to her feet. She clenched her hands into fists.

“You’re never home,” Rose said, her voice shaking. “I tried to tell you, I really did, but how was I supposed to do this? You’re out every night getting drunk with your mates while I work my ass off to support you, and the only thanks I get is that you completely avoid me. Having a conversation about these things isn’t exactly possible when you never spend time with me!”

Jimmy’s gaze darkened. “Oh, come off it,” he scoffed. “You would’ve found the time to tell me if you really wanted to.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“You’re seeing him, right? Your soulmate?” Jimmy asked. “Who is he?”

His accusation caught Rose off guard. She blinked in confusion, hesitating as she tried to think of what to say. Her silence only infuriated Jimmy further.

“Fuck, Rose! How quickly did you forget what we were talking about?” he snarled. “We agreed that soulmarks don’t matter for us, and now this?”

“I’m not seeing my soulmate!” Rose protested. “Really, I’m not. Yes, we met. But I didn’t want it to happen. And that’s exactly what I told them.”

“Oh, did you? Then what’s that?”

His face screwed up in anger, Jimmy reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. He slammed it down on the coffee table, making Rose jump. Stunned, Rose looked down at the messy handwriting, her stomach sinking as she realized what it was.

Jane’s phone number. By now, Rose was sure she would recognize these numbers anywhere. She had spend hours staring at it in the last week, trying to figure out what to do with it. In the end, she couldn’t bring herself to throw it away. It felt like it was something valuable, something precious. Something that she had to keep at all costs, although she didn’t really understand why she felt this way.

“Where did you get that?” Rose asked, her voice suddenly cold.

“Doesn’t matter, does it? It’s here, that’s the only important thing.”

“You can’t just snoop around in my stuff!” Rose protested, barely aware how she raised her voice in anger. “I kept that in my handbag! It’s none of your business what I have in there!”

“I obviously had a good reason to go through your things!” Jimmy shouted. “That’s him, right? Your precious soulmate? And now you’re lying to me, telling me that you’re not seeing him? Why would you keep his number then?”

Rose opened her mouth to answer, but closed it again before a word could leave her lips. She didn’t have an answer to that, not even for herself.

“After all this time, you’re just gonna ruin our relationship like that?” Jimmy spat out.

“I didn’t do anything! I haven’t called the number, not once,” Rose countered, taking a deep breath. Her hands trembled as she uttered the next words. “I’m not the one ruining our relationship.”

A heavy silence fell between them. Jimmy stared at Rose in surprise and shock, but he quickly recovered.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“I mean that ever since my stupid soulmark appeared, you’ve been treating me like shit,” Rose said, her voice shaking with anger. “Actually, no. It started before that. You’re never home, you never tell me what you’re doing, you snap at me when I dare to ask. You waste your time hanging out with your band, spending all our money on beer and cigarettes, while you expect me to work and cook and clean. And I’ve had enough of that.”

“So what, you’re breaking up with me?” Jimmy snarled, taking a step closer to Rose. “What are you gonna do without me?”

“Whatever it is, it’s gonna be better without you,” Rose spat out. Fury crossed Jimmy’s features, more intense than Rose had ever seen it before. He took another step forward, cornering her against the wall. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, making her heart race in her chest. In that moment, all Rose wanted was to get away from him. She was too terrified to think of anything else.

Shoving hard against his chest, Rose created enough distance between them to slip past him. She dashed across the room, grabbed her phone from the couch and rushed out into the hallway. Footsteps sounded from behind her as Jimmy hurried to follow her. He grabbed her arm just before she could storm out of the flat.

He tightened his grip almost painfully as he pulled Rose back towards him. Heart pounding in her chest, Rose didn’t wait to see what he might have to say. He’d never been violent, not when she was present, but right in that moment she wasn’t sure what he might be capable of.

“Let me go!” she yelled, surprising both herself and Jimmy with the volume of her voice. It gave her enough time to pull free.

Without looking back, without saying another word, she fled from the flat and slammed the door shut behind her.

~~~

Rose hurried through the streets, not paying attention to where she was going. The only thought in her head was that she wanted to get as far away from Jimmy as possible. She broke into a run until her lungs were burning. Only then she finally slowed down, walking for a few more minutes until she eventually came to a stop. Apart from a few cars that occasionally passed by the night was quiet, leaving her alone with her whirling thoughts. Tears blurred her vision and Rose sniffled, running a hand over her face.

Jimmy’s words echoed in her head, cold and merciless: what was she gonna do now?

Shivering in the cool night air, Rose wrapped her arms around herself. In her haste to leave she hadn’t grabbed her jacket, and although it was late spring the nights were still chilly. Now that she’d stopped running, she noticed the cold biting her bare skin.

She needed a place to stay, Rose realized with a start. At least for the night, until she could decide what to do on the long term. There was no doubt that her mum or Shareen would welcome her with open arms, no matter how distant Rose had been lately. But it would need explaining; telling them what happened and why, letting them in on the real reason why she and Jimmy broke up. Telling them about her soulmark, and about Jane. Rose wasn’t sure if she had the energy to do that tonight. There was only one person in the whole of London who didn’t need any explaining. One person who already knew.

With shaking hands, Rose reached into her pocket and pulled out her mobile, typing in the number she knew by heart before she could think of all the reasons why this was a bad idea.

The phone rang twice before Jane answered.

“Hello?” she asked, sounding confused and sleepy. Her voice alone calmed Rose instantly. Relief flooded her, giving her hope that she wouldn’t be left alone tonight. That there was still someone to help her. Before Rose could stop it, tears were streaming down her cheeks.

“Hi,” she said, her voice wavering as she stiffled a sob.

“Rose?” Jane asked, breathless and hopeful, as if she couldn’t believe her ears. It only made Rose cry harder. There was no way she could hide it from Jane any longer.

“Yeah, it’s me.”

“Are you okay?” The last trace of sleepiness in Jane’s voice was gone in an instant, replaced by alarm. “What’s going on?”

“I’m… I’m okay. It’s just-” Rose broke off, letting out a shuddering breath. “Shit, I shouldn’t have called. ‘M sorry. It’s the middle of the night.”

“I don’t mind,” Jane said quickly. “Really, I don’t. Don’t sleep much anyways. Rose, you don’t sound like you’re okay.”

“It’s just… I don’t know what to do. I left him and now I don’t know where to go and-”

“Where are you?” Jane interrupted, her voice sharp. “Are you outside? Now, in the middle of the night?”

“Uh… yeah,” Rose said hesitantly, biting her bottom lip.

“Tell me where you are and I’ll pick you up.”

“What? Jane, you don’t have to do that.”

“Nonsense,” Jane answered. The rustling of clothes sounded over the speaker. “Tell me where you are, please? You can’t expect me to do nothing when you’re calling in the middle of the night, crying with no place to stay.”

Rose gulped and wiped the tears from her face, looking around until she spotted a street sign. She gave the address to Jane who was already rushing out of the house. A door slammed shut and a minute later Rose heard the stuttering of a car engine in the background.

They eventually hung up, letting Jane focus on the traffic. Rose let out a long sigh when she did, sinking down on the nearest bench to wait for her.

This wasn’t how she had imagined this conversation. Jane had every reason to hate her after Rose had rejected her. Instead she was driving through London in the middle of the night to help her out of trouble. She certainly didn’t deserve that, Rose thought. Tears stung in her eyes and she buried her face in her hands, desperately trying to calm down.

It wasn’t long until an old, battered car pulled to a stop beside her. Rose startled in the first moment, her heart hammering in her chest, but she calmed down immediately when the engine turned off and Jane hopped out of the car.

Her hair was a mess, probably more than the last time they met, only confirming Rose’s suspicion that Jane had already been sleeping when she had called. But it was the pure concern in Jane’s features that overwhelmed her with guilt for a moment. There was no doubt that Jane genuinely cared about her, no matter how hurt she must’ve been after their first meeting.

“Hey,” Jane said, her tense shoulders relaxing as her gaze swept over Rose and found her unharmed. “You all right?”

Rose nodded and let out a long breath. “Yeah, I suppose,” she said, her voice still hoarse from crying. She wiped at her cheeks again, sure that she must look like a complete mess. But Jane only gave her a relieved smile.

“Hop in then! Blimey, it’s freezing outside. How long have you been sitting here?”

Before Rose could protest, Jane draped her suit jacket around her shoulders and ushered her into the car. With a lump in her throat Rose wrapped her arms around herself, still shivering, and inhaled Jane’s scent that was still lingering on the fabric.

“Thank you,” Rose said quietly as Jane started the engine and pulled away from the curb.

“Not a problem,” Jane said, her gaze fixed on the street in front of them. “I’m driving back to my flat, if that’s all right?” She shot Rose a quizzical look. “Unless I should drop you off somewhere else?”

“No, it’s… your place is fine,” Rose said. She felt guilty for asking this of Jane, but there was no other place she wanted to go now. And Jane didn’t seem to mind. She gave Rose a soft, genuine smile, before looking back towards the road.

It was only a short drive to Jane’s apartment. Inside, Jane ushered her towards the living room before rushing towards the kitchen with the promise to make tea. Rose let her gaze wander over the shelves of books that lined the walls of the small room. It was a bit of a mess, with books and papers stacked on every possible surface, some screws and bits of machinery scattered on the desk in front of the window, and a long colourful scarf draped over the back of the couch. But it was cosy and welcoming, and Rose immediately felt at home. She sank down on the couch, feeling the tension of the evening finally drain out of her, leaving her exhausted.

Jane came back only a few minutes later, two steaming mugs of tea in her hand. She pressed one into Rose’s hands before sitting down next to her.

“What happened tonight?” Jane asked quietly after Rose had taken a first sip of her tea.

Rose sighed, rubbing her fingers over her eyes.

“Jimmy and I got into a fight. First about my soulmark, then about all the crap he’s pulled lately.”

“Jimmy? Is he your boyfriend?”

“Yeah. Ex-boyfriend now, I suppose. Told him I was breaking up with him.”

Rose felt Jane’s gaze on her, but didn’t dare to meet her eyes.

“And you meant that?” Jane asked, obviously trying to keep her voice neutral, but Rose couldn’t miss the trace of hope that lingered there.

“I- I mean, I haven’t exactly planned this in advance. But… yes. I think it’s the right decision,” Rose said, letting out a long breath. There had been no time to contemplate all the consequences of her decision to leave Jimmy, but it felt right. Even after the emotional turmoil of the evening, it was like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

“I just couldn’t do this anymore,” Rose continued, her voice shaking. “He was such an arse. Especially in the last few weeks. I don’t really know why I stayed for that long.”

Unable to stop it, Rose started crying again. Tears streamed down her face as all the hurt and frustration that had accumulated inside her in the last weeks finally got out. Her breath hitched, but she tried to continue.

“God, he was so awful. I thought it was only because he was upset after I got my soulmark, that he would be back to normal soon, but it only got worse. He treated me like shit. But I still stayed. I’m so stupid.”

“No, you’re not. C’mere,” Jane said softly, wrapping an arm around Rose’s shoulders and pulling her close. Rose curled into her side, burying her face in Jane’s shoulder and crying in earnest now. Jane’s fingers rubbed circles on her back, soothing her.

“You’re not stupid, Rose. It takes a lot of courage to leave your life with people you were once close to behind. You can be proud of yourself.”

“I didn’t feel courageous, I was just scared. He was so angry tonight. I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to leave.”

“You did the right thing,” Jane said. “I’m glad you left. He didn’t- he didn’t hurt you, did he?”

Rose shook her head, sniffling. “No. Wasn’t convinced that he wouldn’t though.”

Jane tightened her grip around her shoulders, sucking in a sharp breath. “More reasons to be glad that you’re here and not with him,” she said and Rose let out a breathy laugh.

“Yeah, I’m glad too.”

Rose wasn’t sure if she imagined it, but she could’ve sworn that for a second Jane pressed her lips against her forehead. She didn’t linger and pulled back instead, breaking the embrace. Rose immediately missed her arms around her.

“Feeling better?” Jane asked, giving Rose a soft smile.

“Yes. Thank you. For all of this. You didn’t have to do that, especially after...”

Rose trailed off, not able to bring the words over her lips. But she knew that Jane understood. Jane looked away from her and drew her eyebrows together, pressing her lips into a thin line.

“It’s all right,” she said with a nonchalance that Rose didn’t believe for one second.

“But it’s not,” Rose insisted. “It really isn’t. And I’m… I’m sorry. It wasn’t fair how I treated you when we first met. And I know you’re trying to hide it now, but it was obvious that I hurt you. I couldn’t stop thinking about it since then. What I did was selfish and I’m sorry.”

Jane sighed, raking her fingers through her hair. She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it before a word left her lips. A few seconds passed in silence before she tried again.

“The problem with this whole soulmark thing is,” she started, sounding bitter, “that in a way, it does take away your free will, doesn’t it? It does make a choice for you, whether you like it or not. And it’s not fair, to expect that someone will drop their previous relationship and be with you. Just like that, without questioning things, just because these stupid numbers on your wrists tell you to, is it?”

“But you were hoping it would be like that,” Rose said quietly. “Didn’t you? You were so happy when you saw it.”

Jane let out a long breath. “Of course I was,” she said, her voice soft. “Doesn’t mean that it was right to expect the same thing from you.”

“I’m still sorry,” Rose insisted and Jane’s lips twitched.

“Stubborn, are we?” she said and Rose laughed.

“Yeah, better get used to it,” Rose smiled, but she quickly turned serious again. “The thing is though, that it would’ve been different if I had already broken up with Jimmy. If I had some more time to wrap my head around the fact that he’s an idiot and my soulmate is still out there. It’s just… oh, I don’t know. Everything is a bit of a mess, I suppose. I’m so confused right now.”

She ran a hand down her face, frustrated by her inability to make sense of her feelings. When she looked up again, Jane was watching her with a soft smile. Affection sparkled in her brown eyes, making Rose’s heart stumble in her chest. But before anything could happen, Jane tore her gaze away, breaking the moment between them.

“We should both get some sleep, don’t you think?” she asked, getting up. “It was a long day. I’ll get you a blanket and a shirt to wear.”

Rose sank back into the cushions and nodded. She closed her eyes, exhaustion making her limbs heavy. Jane was right. It really had been a long day.


	4. Chapter 4

Rose woke early the next morning. 

Muted light fell through the curtains covering the windows, illuminating the unfamiliar room just enough for Rose to make out her surroundings. Jane’s living room. Rose let out a sigh, plopping back down onto the couch when she realized where she was and the events of the past night caught up on her. A dull headache was left behind her temples. She still felt exhausted and emotionally drained, but it wasn’t the kind of tiredness that sleep could fix. And although it had been late when Rose had finally settled down for the night, she couldn’t fall back asleep.

Instead, Rose raked a hand through her hair and stared at the ceiling as she contemplated how much her life had changed, not only in the past day, but gradually in the past weeks. The thing she had been scared of most - breaking off with Jimmy and admitting to herself that all of this had been a terrible mistake - had become reality. But for the first time since all this started, the constant dread and fear were gone. She didn’t need Jimmy in her life, and that realization made her feel lighter than she had in weeks.

Still, there was a lot that needed to be done before she could leave this part of her life behind for good. First of all, figuring out where she could stay. There was no way she could share a flat with Jimmy any longer. Just the thought made her feel sick. Her job at Henrik’s didn’t pay well enough to afford a flat on her own, not in London, and she couldn’t stay on Jane’s couch forever, no matter how much she wanted to. There was only one obvious solution.

Groaning, Rose reached for her mobile on the coffee table. She checked the time, making sure that it wasn’t too early to call, and scrolled through her contacts. Her finger trembled as she hovered over her mum’s number for a while, gathering the courage she needed. She finally pressed the button, taking a deep breath as the phone rang. It was time to come home.

~~~

After the call, Rose stumbled into the bathroom, freshening up as well as she could. She changed back into her clothes, wiped the smudged mascara off her face and gathered her tousled hair in a messy ponytail. This would have to do for now.

When she left the bathroom, she heard clattering from the kitchen. Jane was standing at the stove, cursing under her breath as she tried to get eggs into the pan and bread into the toaster at the same time.

Rose stopped in the doorway for a moment, letting her gaze sweep over her. Her eyes lingered for a second on Jane’s bare legs. She was still in sleep clothes, dressed in shorts and an oversized shirt. Affection and gratitude bloomed in Rose’s chest. She wasn’t sure what she would have done without Jane in the past night. She already owed her so much - and now Jane was even making breakfast for her.

“Can I help you?” she asked and Jane whirled around. She grinned at Rose when their eyes met.

“Good morning! And, uh… yes please.” She gestured toward the toaster while she turned back to her eggs. Rose giggled as she got two slices of bread out of the package and put them into the toaster.

“You’re up early,” she commented.

“Yes, couldn’t sleep any more. Heard you were awake so I thought I might as well start on breakfast.”

“Good idea. I’m starving,” Rose said, filling the kettle with water and switching it on. Jane reached up to get two mugs out of the cupboard, handing them over to Rose.

“Nearly done. Can you make a bit of space at the table?”

Rose chuckled when she spotted the mess on the kitchen table. It was covered by books and papers, exactly like the living room. Curious to see what this was about, Rose gathered a few sheets in her hands and frowned at the equations scribbled down in messy handwriting.

“Astrophysics?” she asked, reading the title from one of the books. “Wow. Sounds complicated.”

“Yep! I’m getting my doctorate. That’s where that nickname comes from.”

“The Doctor?” Rose repeated, remembering the moment when Jane had introduced herself for the first time.

“That’s me,” Jane grinned, loading eggs and toast onto their plates. Rose quickly gathered the books from the table and moved them to the window sill. She sat down in front of a filled plate, her stomach rumbling.

“So, astrophysics…” Rose started again after the first bite of toast. “That’s impressive.”

“Well, I am impressive,” Jane said with a wink. “But really, it’s mostly just fun.”

“Doesn’t look like much fun,” Rose said warily, eyeing a sheet with equations that was still forgotten on the table. “I don’t think I understand any of that.”

“Well, that’s just the theory behind it. The real fun is the field work! Watching stars and supernovas and black holes, witnessing all the wonders of this universe.” Jane’s eyes lit up. “It’s amazing how much we can see from this tiny little rock, given the right telescope. Maybe I can show you someday, if you’d like.”

Rose couldn’t miss the hopeful tone in Jane’s voice at the last part. It wasn’t just a simple question; it held so much more about their future. She gave Jane a soft smile.

“Yeah, I’d like that,” she said and Jane smiled back, a bit shyly. “Still not sure I’ll get all the stuff you’re working on.”

“Oh, but I’m sure you’re brilliant!”

Rose grimaced, taking a sip of her tea before she continued.

“Dunno about that. I’m working in a shop.”

“Don’t put yourself down like that,” Jane said, frowning. “And I had the impression you liked that job.”

“I do, in general,” Rose started, “but I’m not sure if I want to keep doing that. I took that job because I needed money to pay for rent after I moved in with Jimmy, but now… maybe I can think about something else to do. Something more than just selling clothes to people, you know? Not that it’s bad, just can’t see myself doing that for the rest of my life.”

Jane smiled at her. “Sounds good, if that’s what you want.”

Rose shrugged. “I just don’t know what I want to do instead.” She sighed, running a hand over her face. “I have no idea what’s going to happen in my life now. This was all a bit sudden. I can move back in with my mum, but apart from that I have nothing figured out.“

Jane reached for her hand, hesitating for a moment. But when Rose didn’t pull back Jane entangled their fingers together and gave Rose’s hand a squeeze. “You’ve got all the time in the world to figure things out. It’ll be okay, I promise.”

Rose looked down at their linked hands, letting out a long breath. With Jane’s hand in hers and her voice in her ear, low and reassuring, all the anxiety drained out of her. In that moment, she sincerely believed Jane was right: it was going to be okay. She blinked, tears brimming in her eyes.

“I mean it,” Jane said again, giving her hand another squeeze. “We can get your stuff out of your flat today and then you’ll never have to see that idiot again. Then you’re free to do whatever you want in your life. A whole universe, right at your fingertips, waiting for you to explore.”

Rose laughed, wiping away her tears. “You’re daft.”

Jane only grinned, a besotted smile on her lips. “Oh, but you love it, don’t you? See, you’re smiling.”

“Yeah, I do,” Rose admitted, watching with delight how Jane’s cheeks flushed at her response. She took a deep breath, trying to steer her thoughts back to what needed to be done. “And yes, getting my things today sounds like a good idea. I just want to be done with this as soon as possible.”

“All right! We can do that.” Jane tilted her head, thinking. “D’you think Jimmy will cause any trouble if he’s there?”

“Dunno. He might,” Rose sighed. “I don’t really trust him at the moment.”

Jane frowned. “I can text a friend and ask if he can help us. Might be good to have someone a bit more intimidating with us, just in case.”

Rose nodded. The thought that she wouldn’t have to face Jimmy alone calmed her immediately. Jane gave her one last smile and they finished their breakfast, the conversation quickly turning to lighter topics. Jane called her friend afterwards while Rose did the dishes, and it didn’t take long until the doorbell rang.

Jack Harkness, Rose decided as soon as he entered the flat, didn’t look intimidating at all. Quite the contrary. Charming and confident were the first two words that came to her mind.

He barged into the flat as soon as Jane opened the door, all teeth and smiles. “Hello Doctor,” he exclaimed.

“Hey,” Jane said in greeting before Jack pulled her into a quick hug.

Then his gaze fell on her. Rose barely had time to notice the alarm on Jane’s face before he was at her side.

“Jack Harkness,” he said, his voice deep and rumbling. He gave Rose a cheeky smile. “And who are you?”

“Stop it,” Jane growled somewhere behind them.

“I’m just saying hello.”

“You’re not. You’re flirting.”

“I can’t help it. There’s a beautiful woman in your apartment, Jane. A mysterious stranger whose name I still don’t know.”

He winked at Rose, making her blush.

“Rose, I’m Rose,” she finally managed to say, smiling. “Nice to meet you.”

“It’s a pleasure,” Jack said, shaking her hand. Jane groaned.

“I didn’t ask you over for a flirt,” she complained, scowling at Jack. “Rose and I could need some help getting her stuff out of her ex-boyfriend’s flat. I told you that. You know, that ex-boyfriend she broke up with just _yesterday_. Not the time, Harkness.”

Jack had the decency to look at least a little bit abashed. “Oh, right. Sorry,” he said, giving Rose his best puppy-dog eyes. Rose couldn’t help but smile.

“It’s fine,” she said and Jack relaxed. He turned towards Jane with a grin. 

“I thought you just wanted her all for yourself,” he teased.

To their amusement, Jane turned a rather dark shade of pink. “I- that’s not… I’m-” Jane spluttered before taking a deep breath. “We don’t have time for this,” she quickly said with a roll of her eyes, rushing into the corridor. “Let me just get the car keys and get going.”

Jack shot Rose a look, a knowing smile on his lips. Her cheeks grew hot under his gaze, but neither of them said a word. They probably didn’t need to.

~~~

They pulled up to Rose’s and Jimmy’s flat not long after. Rose sucked in a shuddering breath, looking up towards the windows. There was no light, no movement. No answer to the question if she would have to see Jimmy one last time. She gulped, nervously fiddling with the key in her pocket.

“Ready to do this?” Jane asked quietly from the driver’s seat. Rose nodded.

“Yes. As ready as I’ll ever be, I suppose.”

Heart beating hard against her ribs, Rose walked up the stairs, the other two following behind her. She hesitated for a second in front of the door before sliding the key into the lock.

It was dark in the flat, the curtains still drawn over the windows, casting shadows into the hallway. The flat felt strange and foreign. This wasn’t home anymore.

Holding her breath, Rose walked over the threshold. There was a noise coming from the living room, crushing her hopes that Jimmy wouldn’t be home. She tensed, listening to the footsteps coming closer.

“Oh, look who’s coming back,” Jimmy said, rounding the corner with a sly smile on his face. But he froze when he caught sight of Jane and Jack, the smile dissolving into a frown.

“I’m not coming back,” Rose said, her voice cool. “I’m just here to pick up my stuff.”

Jimmy let out a huff. “Come on, you can’t be serious,” he complained. “Don’t make a fuss about this.”

Rose clenched her hands into fists, irritation boiling in her veins. “I made my decision and that’s it.”

Deciding it was best to ignore Jimmy completely, she strode past him towards the bedroom. She pulled out a large suitcase that was tucked away in one corner before opening the wardrobe, letting her gaze wander over all the clothes. Hoodies, jeans, a couple of T-shirts. She didn’t have much in her possession and in this moment she was glad. Packing up would be quick.

“Let’s just talk about this first,” Jimmy protested, his voice shaking with anger as he followed her into the bedroom. “You don’t have to move out immediately.”

“You heard her,” Jane growled behind them. Both Rose and Jimmy looked back at her in surprise. She lingered in the doorway with Jack at her side, her arms crossed over her chest as she glared at Jimmy. “She’s moving out and that’s it.”

“And who are you two?” Jimmy snarled. His gaze flickered from Jane to Jack and his expression darkened.

“Oh, I see how it is. That’s your bloody soulmate, eh? That guy?” He nodded towards Jack. “What happened to ‘I’m not seeing him’?”

Rose froze, unable to bring the truth over her lips. Blood rushed in her ears and she helplessly looked towards Jane and Jack, who looked as stunned as she felt. Jack opened his mouth to protest. But then his eyes flickered from Jane to Rose and back and understanding crossing his features. He closed his mouth with a click before he could say a word.

Jimmy didn’t catch on to the truth. He turned towards Rose, anger radiating off him in waves.

“I can’t believe it,” Jimmy continued, raising his voice. “You lying bitch.”

He made a quick step towards Rose and she backed away from him, the infuriated expression on his face making her heart race. Behind them, Jane tried to rush forward, her face screwed up in anger, but Jack grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back. Jane was tall, Rose had to admit, but she was skinny and didn’t look like she’d have a chance against Jimmy if things turned pear-shaped. But Jack was different.

He strode forward, all this charm replaced by determination and ruthlessness, and grabbed Jimmy’s arm before he could take another step in her direction. Jimmy howled in pain as Jack twisted his arm on his back and roughly pulled him away from Rose.

“What the-” Jimmy started, but he didn’t get to finish his sentence.

“You will not call her names like that,” Jack hissed. “Do you understand?”

“Get off me!” Jimmy protested. He yelped when Jack tightened his grip on him.

“I asked if you understand.”

“Yes, fuck. I won’t do it again. Just let me go.”

Jack pulled back, just slightly.

“Good. And you will not come near her again. Unless she asks you to, of course. But I highly doubt that she will. So you’re gonna give her some space now-” Jack pulled Jimmy towards the door, allowing no protests. “So she can pack up her stuff. Are we clear?”

Jane rushed at Rose’s side as she watched in stunned silence how Jack ushered Jimmy out of the room. Rose let out the breath she was holding when he was finally out of sight. She heard Jimmy throwing a string of insults at Jack, but then he yelped again before he was silent.

“Jack used to be in the military,” Jane explained. “Some kind of secret government organization. Comes in handy in situations like this. You all right?”

Rose nodded slowly.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

She looked down at her trembling hands, taking a deep breath. Jane reached out for her, giving her hand a quick, reassuring squeeze.

Rose turned back towards the wardrobe, gulping down the lump in her throat.

“Right,” she said with determination. “Let’s get this over with.”

With Jane’s help, it didn’t take long to pack up her stuff. Clothes, toiletries, a few books, a couple of mugs that she was fond of. All her belongings fitted into the large suitcase and two bags. Jimmy was sulking in the background, carefully guarded by Jack. He glared at her whenever Rose crossed his line of vision, but he didn’t dare to speak up again.

They quickly finished up and loaded the luggage into the car. Rose threw her key into the letterbox and sank down on the passenger seat, watching in relief how the house disappeared in the rear view mirror. She was more than ready to leave this part of her life behind.

“Back to your mum?” Jane asked quietly and Rose nodded. She guided Jane through the streets of London, leaving the centre behind as they headed towards the Powell Estate. Soon, she recognized the familiar concrete buildings and Rose couldn’t help but smile. In a way, she had missed this view.

Jane parked in front of the building and together they carried her luggage upstairs. In front of the flat Rose took a deep breath, but the door opened before she could ring the bell.

“Rose!”

A second later Rose was enveloped into a tight hug from Jackie Tyler. Rose wrapped her arms around her, burying her head in her shoulder.

“Oh, it’s so good to see you. I missed you so much,” Jackie said, swinging Rose gently from one side to the other. Tears brimmed in Rose’s eyes.

“I missed you too mum,” she said, her voice breaking at the end of the sentence. It had been a long time since she’d hugged her mum like this. Ever since Rose had started going out with Jimmy, things had been tense between them. Jackie hadn’t approved of him, and now Rose wished she had listened to her a lot earlier. Especially in the last few weeks they had barely seen each other. Rose hadn’t realized how much she had missed her mother until she was in her arms. Jackie hugged her tight, as if all the arguments of the past months hadn’t happened, and Rose couldn’t hold back her tears.

“I’m sorry,” she managed to say, but Jackie shushed her before she could say anything else.

“Oh, none of that, sweetheart. I’m just happy you’re home,” Jackie said. She pulled back slightly to look Rose in the eye, making sure she was all right. “And I’m glad you finally got rid of that wanker.”

Rose laughed through her tears, pulling out of the embrace. She wiped her cheeks as she listened to Jackie ranting about Jimmy bloody Stone and smiled. Everything was how it used to be, and she wouldn’t want it any other way.

~~~

Jane and Jack helped to get her luggage inside. Despite Jackie’s insistence that they should stay for tea they decided to leave, giving Rose and Jackie time to catch up. Rose felt her mother’s gaze on her as they said goodbye, could already feel all the questions that only waited to spill out of Jackie’s mouth. Her friends turned to leave, heading towards the staircase, and a rush of panic surged through Rose as she watched them disappear. This was going too fast. There were so many things that still needed to be said before they went apart.

“Jane!” she yelled before the other girl could vanish into the staircase. Jane stopped, turning around to her in confusion, and Rose broke out into a run to catch up with her.

“Wait. I was just…” Rose trailed off, not quite sure how to say the things she needed to get off her chest.

“Yes?” Jane prompted, a small smile on her lips.

“I was wondering what’s going to happen now,” Rose finally admitted, nervously picking at her nails. “You know. Between us.”

Jane’s chest heaved as she took a long breath. “I- I just want to say, I meant the things I said yesterday,” she started. “You don’t owe me anything. You’re in no way obligated to keep me in your life, not because of the soulmarks, and not because I helped you out last night. It’s your decision.”

“But if I want you in my life?”

Jane’s eyes widened before her lips curled into a soft smile.

“I’d like that,” she said, reaching for Rose’s hand.

Rose smiled, entangling her fingers with hers and looking down at their linked hands. It just felt natural, to have Jane’s hand in hers. It was a perfect fit.

“I still mean what I said yesterday as well,” Rose said quietly. “That I’m just so confused right now. I don’t know what to feel. I’m gonna need a bit of time, but I like you. So we can- can we be friends?”

“Rose Tyler,” Jane started, the soft tone in her voice making Rose look up. Her heart stumbled in her chest as she took in Jane’s sparkling eyes and the wide smile on her lips. “There’s nothing else I’d rather be.”

Grinning, Jane threw her arms around Rose and Rose hugged her back, laughing. They stayed like that for a long moment, far longer than usual for ‘just friends’, Rose thought while her heart skipped a beat. She enjoyed the closeness, Jane’s warm body pressed against hers, her breath on her neck, Jane’s scent in her nose. She wanted to stay like that forever, but then Jane reluctantly pulled back.

“I’ll see you then,” Jane finally said, her cheeks flushed, and turned to leave.

“Not if I see you first,” Rose replied, giving her a tongue-touched grin. Jane walked away, a bounce in her steps, and flashed Rose one last smile over her shoulder before heading down the stairs.


	5. Chapter 5

Jane yawned for the third time in only five minutes and Rose rolled her eyes at her. Not that Jane could see it, with Rose splayed out on her bed, looking up towards her bright pink walls, while Jane was in her own flat at the other side of London.

“Go to bed already,” Rose said into the phone. “We can talk more tomorrow. I’m not going anywhere.”

Jane let out a noise of protest in the back of her throat. “I’m fine,” she said. “And I still need to grade some papers.”

“What? Did I keep you from work?” Rose frowned. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“No, no,” Jane said quickly. “You’re not. Well, I guess technically you are, but I don’t mind. I wanted to talk to you. Grading can wait a bit.”

“That “bit” lasted already two hours,” Rose teased with a glance to the clock. She had called Jane around eight, and now it was nearly ten. Talking to Jane was so easy as if they’d known each other for years, so she hadn’t really noticed how time flew by.

“Well, you just said earlier that I like to babble. You really shouldn’t be surprised.”

“I’m not,” Rose grinned. “And I’m not complaining. This is nice.”

“Yes, it is,” Jane said, her voice warm and full of affection. It only made Rose’s smile wider.

Jane let out another yawn before she could continue. “Oh, blimey. I think I need some coffee.”

“What you need is sleep,” Rose protested. “I can tell you’re exhausted and I’m not even in the same room as you.”

“Well, yes. Didn’t sleep well last night. Or this week,” Jane mumbled, her voice slurring a little. The admission surprised Rose. Jane and her had been talking nearly every evening in the past two weeks since Rose moved back to the Powell Estate, but this was the first time she had mentioned any troubles to sleep. Rose only counted that as another sign of her exhaustion. It was clearly a slip, nothing that Jane would have admitted if she wasn’t dead on her feet.

“What’s wrong? Are you all right?” Rose asked, suddenly concerned.

“I’m always all right,” Jane said after a short pause. “Just stressed at work with this stupid deadline. I hope I can finish the last experiments for the paper tomorrow.”

“Just don’t forget to take care of yourself, all right?” Rose asked, biting her bottom lip. She wasn’t convinced by Jane’s explanation. “Or I’ll have to come over and make you.”

Jane laughed. “If that’s supposed to be a threat it’s not working.”

Rose smiled. “Try to get some sleep anyways, okay?” she said quietly after a few seconds of silence.

Jane let out a long sigh. “I- I’ll try, all right? Look, I should probably get to work so I can get to bed before midnight.”

Rose frowned, surprised by the sudden change of direction. She had the feeling that Jane was trying to avoid this conversation, but somehow Rose doubted that pressing her on that matter would work. She’d already learned that much about Jane in the past weeks.

“Okay,” Rose finally said. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“Good night, Rose Tyler. Sleep tight.”

Despite everything, Rose smiled at the warmth in Jane’s voice. “G’night,” she said softly, and they finally hung up. Lost in thought, Rose stared at the screen of her phone for a while longer. She couldn’t quite shake the feeling that something was wrong. She finally threw her phone aside with a sigh. Even more than in the past days, she wished to be at Jane’s side, just to make sure the other woman really was okay and managed to get some sleep. With Jane’s busy schedule they hadn’t seen each other since Rose had moved, and although they talked nearly every day Rose missed her. Missed seeing her smile, instead of just hearing it in Jane’s voice. Missed her arms around her, holding her close in an embrace. Missed the sight of her lips that were slowly but surely sneaking into Rose’s dreams, teasing and tempting-

Rose groaned, pressing her face into her pillow. She shouldn’t be having these trains of thought, not when she still wasn’t sure what was going on with Jane. But there was nothing she could do, not tonight. With a sigh, Rose dragged herself out of bed to make a cup of tea. There was no way she could fall asleep right now.

~~~

The next evening, just after Rose had come home from work and settled down on the couch, the doorbell rang. She looked up in confusion. She wasn’t expecting anyone, and even if Jackie had forgotten her keys, she wouldn’t finish work for another hour.

When she opened the door, Jack Harkness was beaming down at her.

“Jack?” she asked in surprise, but he only grinned.

“Rose!” he exclaimed. “Good to see you again. I was just in the neighbourhood and wondered if you’d fancy a drink.”

“Um, what?” Rose shook her head. “Sorry, what’re you doing here?”

“Asking you to join me for a drink. Please?”

Rose frowned, nervously shifting from one foot to the other. She still didn’t know Jack, not really. She appreciated everything he had done for her, but that day had been the only time she’d met him.

“Why would you do that?” she asked carefully.

Jack smiled, wide and disarming. “We didn’t really get a chance to talk last time, didn’t we? Just thought we could have a bit of a drink and a chat. You know, getting to know each other. Completely harmless. I promise to be a gentleman.” He winked and Rose laughed.

“All right,” she finally said, smiling. “I could do with some chips.”

“Perfect! Let’s go get some chips and a pint.”

Rose quickly grabbed her jacket and purse before they made their way down to the local pub. It was busy when they got there, but they managed to snatch a small table in the corner, a few feet away from the hustle around the bar. Rose sat down and Jack dashed to the counter, promising to bring chips and two beers in a minute.

A while later, Rose happily munched on her vinegar soaked chips while Jack took a long sip of his lager. He set the glass down on the table and snatched a couple of chips off her plate.

“So, how are you doing?” he finally asked, turning towards her as he popped a chip into his mouth.

Rose chewed, taking some time to come up with an answer. She finally shrugged. “I’m good, I think. I need some time to get used to living with my mum again. God, she can drive me up the walls sometimes. But…” She smiled as she raised her gaze toward Jack’s. “It’s definitely better than before. I’m glad I’m out of there.”

Jack smiled, his shoulders sagging in relief. “That’s good to hear. He didn’t try to contact you again?”

“Nope. I think you scared him off the last time.”

“It was a pleasure,” Jack said, the smile turning into a proud grin. “Anytime, really.”

Rose laughed. “Let’s hope that won’t be necessary, yeah?”

“Of course. Also if you and Jane…”

Jack trailed off and Rose’s heart stuttered in her chest. She gulped down the lump in her throat.

“Yeah?” she asked, prompting Jack to continue while she tried to ignore the blood rushing in her ears. Somehow she had the feeling that this was exactly what Jack had originally wanted to talk about.

“You and Jane are soulmates?” Jack finally asked. It was more a statement than a question. He already knew the answer.

Rose nervously shifted in her seat, picking at the paper in the basket of chips in front of her. Her appetite was suddenly gone.

“What did Jane tell you?” she asked carefully without meeting Jack’s gaze.

“She didn’t tell me anything.”

“What, really?”

Jack let out a long sigh.

“A few weeks ago, she turned up at my doorstep at 3am, completely pissed. She was a mess. Didn’t want to tell me what happened, but she eventually said she met her soulmate and things didn’t go well. And then you turn up all of a sudden, breaking up with your boyfriend who claims that it’s because of your soulmate. Who isn’t him, obviously. Would have surprised me if he was, considering what an ass he is.”

Rose’s lips curled up, just for a second before Jack continued.

“That doesn’t leave many options. I can put one and one together.”

Sitting back in her seat, Rose wrapped her arms around herself.

“Yeah, she’s my soulmate,” she finally said, her voice quiet. It was the first time she said these words out loud, and no matter how good it felt to bring this sentence over her lips, it still terrified her. She rushed to explain. “I was still with Jimmy when we met. Just got my soulmark a while earlier, and I really thought it would be Jimmy ever since I met him.”

“So you… what? Rejected her?”

Rose ran a hand through her hair, struggling for words.

“Jack, what are we doing here?” she finally asked instead of answering the question. The answer was obvious anyways. “Do you want to tell me off because I hurt her? I know I did, and I regret it so much. I already apologized to her and that’s the best I can do.”

“That was not what I was trying to do,” Jack said, his voice gentle. “Although I’m glad that you two already talked about it. That’s not one of Jane’s greatest talents.”

“What, talking?” Rose smiled. “I feel like you can barely shut her up sometimes.”

“That’s true, but she doesn’t talk about things that matter. About her feelings. She’s awful at that.”

“Yeah, okay. I already gathered that. Is she… is she okay at the moment?”

Jack frowned, taking another gulp of his drink. “I don’t know. That’s something you should ask her.”

“God, I just- I still feel so awful about what happened. She says it’s all right but I don’t think it is.” Rose let out a shuddering breath. “You must hate me for what I did to her.”

“I don’t,” Jack insisted. “Seriously. I sort of… understand.”

Rose looked up, confused.

“What do you mean?”

Jack looked at her for a long moment.

“Rose, when was the first time you realized you were attracted to women?” he finally asked.

Rose nearly choked on her drink, feeling her cheeks heat up. “I… I’m…” she started before trailing off. Jack have her a sympathetic smile.

“I would guess you haven’t really considered it before your soulmark appeared, right?” he asked and Rose shook her head.

“No,” she said quietly. “I mean, I was together with Jimmy, so I never looked at anyone else. Not really. I guess I did notice other girls from time to time, but I never understood how I felt, you know? And then I met Jane and it just became so obvious.”

She flushed bright red, her heart hammering in her chest.

“When I was fifteen,” Jack started suddenly. “There was an exchange student from Spain at our school. Alonso, his name was. I ran into him just by accident in the hallway and immediately fell in love.”

“What?” Rose finally looked up, confused.

“At that age, I was still figuring things out for me. I already knew I was attracted to girls, so feeling the same things for a boy surprised the hell out of me.”

Rose blinked, trying to catch up with what he was saying. Jack gave her a soft smile.

“Rose, what I’m trying to say is that I know how you feel. It can be surprising, confusing, and probably a little scary. So I understand why you would react that way when you met Jane. Especially when you were still with Jimmy.”

Relief flooded Rose and she finally managed to smile back. “Yeah, it was kinda scary,” she admitted. “Still is, to be honest. I have no idea what everyone is going to say. My mum, my friends…”

“They’ll come round, I’m sure.”

“You think so?”

“Yes. Hell, after all the names she called Jimmy the other day I’m sure your mother will welcome anyone else at your side with open arms. Even if it’s an alien. And if not… you know we’re always here to support you, don’t you?”

“Yes, I do,” Rose said, smiling up at him. “Thank you. Really, that means a lot.”

Jack grinned.

“Of course. And Rose- it may be scary at first, but I know you’re brave. And it’s all worth it. I promise.”

~~~

Their conversation eventually turned towards lighter topics. They stayed at the pub until it was late, laughing and chatting. Rose quickly grew fond of Jack. He was as flirty as he’d been when they first met, but he obviously knew where the boundaries were and it helped Rose to feel comfortable around him. When they left, it was already dark outside. Jack insisted to walk her back to the flat, despite her protests that she was used to being out at night. Jack accompanied her until they reached her flat, and after he was sure that she was safe inside he said goodbye for the night.

Rose lingered in the open doorway for a second, exchanging a few last words with him before he left and she let the door fall shut. When she entered the living room, Jackie was watching her carefully. She immediately turned the volume of the TV lower as Rose sat down beside her.

“Was that Jack?” Jackie asked, a curious tone in her voice that made Rose squirm in her seat. She knew what would come next.

“Yep,” she said, running a hand through her hair and keeping her eyes fixed on the TV. “What’re you watching?”

“Oh, don’t distract me now,” Jackie protested, turning off the TV before she fully turned towards Rose. “Is that him, then? Your soulmate?”

Rose froze on the couch, unable to say anything for a second.

“I know, you still didn’t tell me and I’m trying not to be insulted by that, but you can’t expect that I don’t notice your soulmark when we are living under the same roof,” Jackie said. “Why can’t you just tell me? No reason to be embarrassed. He seems nice. Handsome too.”

“It’s not-” Rose started, her voice breaking. “It’s not him, okay?”

Jackie looked stunned for a second, but then she drew her eyebrows together. “Then who is it? You met him, didn’t you? I thought that was what this whole fuss with Jimmy was about.”

Rose gulped, nervously picking at her nails without meeting her mother’s gaze. She took in a shuddering breath, thinking back to what Jack had told her. Surely Jackie would accept the truth, given some time. And she didn’t want to hide, not anymore. 

“It’s Jane,” she finally said quietly, her heart beating so loudly against her ribs that she was sure Jackie could hear it. It was the only thing Rose could focus on in the few seconds of silence that followed. She held her breath, gripping the edge of the seat.

“But.. Jane? Are you sure?”

“Course I am,” Rose said, a lump in her throat. Tears stung in her eyes but she refused to let them fall. Her breath hitched in her throat.

“Oh,” Jackie said, in a tone Rose didn’t recognize. She was silent for another moment, apparently too stunned to say anything at all. Rose felt was if her chest was contracting, making it impossible to get enough air into her lungs, until Jackie finally continued. “Well, she’s nice, isn’t she? And a doctor!”

Rose sucked in a shuddering breath, a mix between a laugh and a sob. When she finally looked up, there wasn’t a hint of disapproval in Jackie’s features - only surprise and curiosity.

“You don’t mind that she’s-” she started, but her voice broke before she could finish the sentence.

“What? Oh! No, Rose, of course not.” Jackie looked at her, her eyes full of sympathy, and that was the last bit that made Rose’s tears spill over. She let out a sob and Jackie scooted closer, wrapping an arm around her and holding her close.

“Sweetheart, I don’t mind who you fall in love with, man or woman, as long as they make you happy,” Jackie said.

Rose curled into her mother’s side, sniffling. Relief coursed through her, making her feel light and dizzy.

“She does make you happy, doesn’t she?” Jackie asked softly, rubbing Rose’s arm to provide comfort.

“She’s- well, we’re not exactly together, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Rose mumbled and Jackie scoffed.

“You don’t need to be together to answer that question, do you?”

Rose smiled against Jackie’s shoulder.

“Yeah, she does make me happy.”

“Good. If not I’m having words with her! Don’t you think I wouldn’t just because she’s a girl.”

Rose finally pulled back, wiping the tears of her cheeks. She rolled her eyes at Jackie’s comment. “Don’t scare her off, will you?” she complained.

Jackie narrowed her eyes at her. “So what’s been going on with you two then?” she asked. “If you aren’t together?”

Rose sighed, running a hand through her hair.

“You know I was still with Jimmy when we met. To say that we had a bit of a bumpy start is probably an understatement.”

“Yes, but what about now? Don’t try to convince me that you don’t want to be with her, because I’ve seen the way you looked at each other when you said goodbye the other day. I just didn’t get it then.”

“Dunno. It’s complicated, isn’t it?” Rose sighed. “I needed a bit of time to understand how I feel.”

Jackie rolled her eyes. She got up, collecting her mug of tea and a plate from the coffee table. “You had some time. And there’s not much to think about, isn’t it? She’s your soulmate! Really, you should ask her out,” she called over her shoulder.

“What?” Rose looked up in surprise.

“Ask her out. Go on a date, see a movie or get chips or something like that.” Jackie went into the kitchen, and Rose was left in stunned silence. But Jackie was right. There was not much to think about. There was no denying how she felt about Jane, not anymore. She knew she was falling hard and fast for the other woman. And if she was lucky, Jane would still want to be with her, regardless of how their first meeting went.

Biting her nails, Rose finally shot up and fled into her room. She slammed the door shut and took a few deep breaths, trying to find the courage she needed. She paced the small room before she finally sat on the bed and pulled out her mobile. There was one missed text from Jane, sent only ten minutes ago - Jane was finally home from the lab. Rose let out a breath in relief. That meant she was still awake.

Rose quickly dialed her number before her courage left her. Despite her nervousness, she could only smile when Jane answered.

“Rose Tyler!” Jane exclaimed, happy and excited.

“Hey,” Rose grinned. “How’re you? Finally done with your experiments?”

“Yep,” Jane said, popping the p at the end of the word. “Took a bit longer than expected, but we got all the data we need for now.”

“Good. So are you finally taking a break now?” Rose teased.

“You sound like my supervisor,” Jane scoffed, but the tone in her voice was still light and humorous. “But yes, I will. There’s nothing urgent that needs to be done in the next week.”

Rose grinned, excitement bubbling inside her. “Perfect. So you’re taking the weekend off?”

“I suppose,” Jane said slowly. “Why are you asking?”

Rose fiddled with the strap of her hoodie and took a deep breath. “I just thought, maybe you want to meet up?” she asked, trying hard to keep her voice from shaking.

“Oh, yes. Sure!” Jane immediately sounded excited and Rose let out a breath in relief. “Sounds great,” Jane continued. “What do you have in mind? Maybe the pub, we could ask Jack to come along…?”

“No!” Rose exclaimed quickly before she could stop herself. “Sorry. I just thought it could be the two of us. You know. As in… a date.”

She held her breath as soon as the last word left her lips. Jane let out a laugh at the other end of the line. 

“Rose Tyler, I’d love to go on a date,” she said, her voice full of awe and anticipation. Rose couldn’t keep the huge grin off her face. “And I know just the place,” Jane continued, sounding just the slightest bit smug. “There’s something I want to show you”

“Okay,” Rose said, a bit perplexed. “Where are we going?”

“I can’t tell you! It’s gonna be a surprise. I mean, if that’s all right with you.” Jane suddenly sounded nervous.

“Yes, it’s perfect,” Rose said, reassuring her. Her lips curled into a soft smile. In the end, it didn’t matter where they were going. Wherever Jane was planning to go, Rose would gladly take her hand and follow, as long as Jane was at her side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this story was inspired by the song Who We Are by Allison Weiss - I think the lyrics are very fitting for this part of the story, so give it a listen if you want to:
> 
> [Link to Youtube!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaWF8AOy5Ys)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, I'm a bit busy with writing some original stuff at the moment. But we're nearly done with this story - only one chapter to go, I think! :) Hope you all enjoy.

Rose stretched her arms into the air, shifting her weight from one foot to another. The afternoon sun was shining down from a perfectly blue sky, warming her skin as she waited outside of the Estate for Jane to pick her up. The rest of the week had crept along slowly, Rose’s impatience to reunite with Jane growing every hour, despite their numerous text messages and daily phone calls. But now the weekend was finally there - and with that, their first official date. Her stomach fluttered. She couldn’t wait.

Jane hadn’t told her what they were up to today, but that didn’t dampen her excitement. She didn’t need any more information to look forward to the day. Pleasant anticipation bubbled in Rose’s veins, making her bounce on the balls of her feet and plastering a grin on her lips that had been there all morning. Jackie had rolled her eyes at her, more than once, and Rose had finally fled from the flat to wait in front of the building.

She didn’t have to wait long. Only minutes later - perfectly on time - Jane’s battered old car pulled up to the Powell Estate, the blue colour shining in the sunlight. Jane came to a stop next to her and jumped out of the car, a beaming smile on her lips that Rose was sure she matched perfectly. Before she could stop herself, Rose darted forward and threw herself into Jane’s arms.

Jane wrapped her arms around Rose’s waist and picked her up, swaying her gently from one side to the other. Her carefree laugh sent warmth through Rose’s body, and her heart was racing by the time she set her feet back to the ground. Rose didn’t want to let go and stayed close, her body pressed against Jane’s, pulling back just enough to look up into Jane’s brown eyes.

“Hello,” Rose smiled and Jane’s eyes twinkled.

“Hello,” she replied, curling her fingers around Rose’s waist as if she wanted to pull her even closer. With a start Rose realized how close they actually were, with Jane’s mouth just inches above hers, and she couldn’t help but glance down, taking in her full lips, slightly parted, glistening in the sunlight-

Jane suddenly took a step back, breaking the moment. She cleared her throat, her cheeks flushing, and nervously ran a hand through her hair. Rose bit her lip, chastising herself. But Jane was quick to recover.

“Ready for an adventure, Rose Tyler?” she asked.

“Course I am. Lead the way.” Rose laughed and gave her a tongue-touched smile. She could’ve sworn that Jane’s eyes flickered down to her mouth as well, just for a second.

“Perfect! Allons-y!” Jane grinned and held out her hand, wriggling her fingers until Rose clasped her hand around Jane’s. Gently, Jane pulled her towards the car, opening the passenger door for her.

“So, where are we going?” Rose asked, exhilarated as they left the Powell Estate behind them. Jane clicked her tongue and tapped her fingers on the steering wheel.

“You’ll see it soon enough,” she teased. “But we’ll be on the road for a while. I told you that, didn’t I? There are some CDs in the glove compartment, just choose something you like.”

Rose put on some music before she leaned back in the seat and let out a content sigh. For a minute, she watched the street signs pass by, trying to figure out where Jane was going. In the short time she was preoccupied with Jane’s CD collection, she had lost her orientation.

“Are we leaving London?” she finally asked in surprise as they headed towards the outer ring road.

“Yep!” Jane shot her a smile. “Told you it’s gonna be an adventure.”

“I haven’t been out of London in… gosh, I don’t even remember. It’s been ages.”

“Then it’s about time. But we won’t go too far. Just a bit into the countryside.”

“Sounds nice.”

“It is! And we’ve got perfect weather for what I’ve planned!” Jane gestured towards the bright blue sky ahead of them. “Let’s hope it stays like that.”

“I’m sure it’s gonna be fine,” Rose said, reaching out to place her hand on top of Jane’s that was resting on the gear stick between them. Twisting her wrist, Jane turned her hand upside down to link their fingers together. It still surprised Rose how natural this felt, holding hands with Jane. As if it was a perfect fit. They shared a grin before Jane focused her eyes back on the road.

“You know, I’ve to the pub last week,” Rose started after a while of comfortable silence. Jane raised an eyebrow and glanced towards her. “With Jack. Dunno if he mentioned that to you.”

Jane grimaced and let out a groan. “Whatever he said or did, I’m sorry. Really.”

“It wasn’t that bad, I promise. It was nice, actually.”

“Jack and nice? There are many ways to describe him, but I wouldn’t use that word.”

“He is!” Rose protested with a laugh. “And there’s got to be a reason why you’re friends with him.”

“Sometimes I’m not so sure about that,” Jane said with a scowl. “We met when we were both undergrads, fresh out of high school, and I haven’t been able to get rid of him from then on. He’s the one who gave me the nickname, you know. In our first year, before he dropped out and went to the military.”

“The Doctor?” Rose asked, remembering how Jane had introduced herself at their first meeting. Jane nodded. “It suits you. I like it.”

Jane smiled, a light blush creeping onto her cheeks, and Rose grinned.

“He’s not too bad then. At least he knows you well.”

Jane made a face. “But he flirts with everyone! Man or woman or neither, it doesn’t matter. It’s fine when it’s just the two of us, but as soon as we’re out somewhere, it’s nerve-racking. Please tell me he didn’t try to flirt with you again.”

Crossing her arms in front of her chest, Rose narrowed her eyes at her. “Are you jealous?” she finally asked.

“No!” Jane exclaimed, a bit too quickly. Her cheeks flushed bright red. Rose raised an eyebrow as Jane glanced at her. Nervously, Jane cleared her throat and looked back onto the road, gripping the steering wheel a bit tighter. “Well, maybe a little,” she admitted. “He did get to spend time with you while I couldn’t, didn’t he?”

Rose reached for Jane’s hand another time and gave it a squeeze. “We were just chatting a bit. He didn’t flirt, not really. And even if he had, I wouldn’t have flirted back. You have nothing to worry about.”

Jane’s tense shoulders relaxed, just a little. She rubbed her thumb over the back of her hand, small and gentle circles that sent a shiver down Rose’s spine.

“Well, that’s good to hear,” she said with a smile.

They continued their journey, heading North, and the world around them slowly grew dark. The sun set, painting the sky in bright orange and red, until the blackness took over. Shadows fell over the fields and meadows they passed on their way. Jane didn’t seem worried about the declining light at all, and it only spiked Rose’s curiosity.

After it went dark, they didn’t go much further. At the side of a small country road, a fair way off the last town they passed, Jane parked the car. She pulled a large backpack out of the trunk and handed Rose a torch before clasping her hand tightly in hers. With a knowing smile, a second torch in her free hand, Jane guided Rose towards a path next to a meadow. It was dark, but Jane seemed to know exactly where they were going, and that was enough for Rose to follow without any doubts. Crickets chirped in the grass, but apart from that, the night was silent and peaceful. The path eventually led them into the woods, and from there, the ground sloped upwards. They slowed down a little, careful not to trip over roots and stones in the sparse light provided by the torches. On the last meters, the forest grew lighter. In the dark, Rose didn’t notice it at first until they had reached the top and suddenly stood in a wide clearing.

Rose gasped. Above them, the night sky stretched near endlessly, the moon illuminating the scenery around them. Hundreds of stars scattered across the black sky, bright and sparkling. She never knew that the night sky could look like this.

“I promised I would show you this someday,” Jane murmured somewhere next to her, so close that Rose could feel her warmth radiating off her skin. “You don’t get a view like this in London, not with all the light pollution. That’s why we’re here.”

“Jane, this is-” She trailed off, unable to find the words to express her feelings.

“Do you like it?” Jane asked and Rose nodded. She leant against Jane’s side, unable to tear her gaze away from the sky.

“I love it.”

Jane wrapped an arm around her, gently guiding her into the center of the clearing. “Come on, I’ve got a few blankets and some tea. Let’s sit down.”

They lay down on one of the blankets, both of them on their backs, side by side and so close that their shoulders and thighs were touching. Jane reached for Rose’s hand in the dark, fumbling until Rose entangled their fingers together. Resting their linked hands between them, they were both content for a while to enjoy each other’s closeness and look up into the depths of the night sky.

“I always wanted to go there,” Jane finally said, breaking the comfortable silence between them. Her voice was barely more than a whisper. “Go to space, see the stars, explore different worlds.”

Rose smiled. “If you could, where would you go first?”

Jane let out a hum in the back of her throat, thinking for a second. “That way,” she finally announced, pointing into the sky with her free hand.

“That way?” Rose asked, raising her hand as well. Jane scooted even closer to her. She gently moved Rose’s finger a bit to the right. “That way. You see that bright star on your left? That’s Polaris, the pole star. The brightest one in the Ursa Minor constellation. I would fly right past there, maybe turn a bit to the right, until I stumble upon a world no one has ever laid their eyes on.”

Rose held her breath, entranced by the fascination in Jane’s voice. She couldn’t keep the smile off her lips. But there was one question that burned on her tongue. “On your own?” she finally asked, her heart thumping hard against her ribs. It was more than a simple question about a purely hypothetical trip into space, but it said exactly what Rose had wanted to ask for a while. She hoped that Jane understood, even if she couldn’t find the words.

“Why, don’t you want to come?” Jane asked gently.

Rose stumbled over her words. “Well, dunno if you would still want me to.”

“Oh, I’d love you to come,” Jane said, her voice so enthusiastic that Rose couldn’t help but laugh.

“Yeah,” she said, resting her head on Jane’s shoulder. “I’d love that.” She started to lower her hand, but Jane wrapped her fingers around her wrist. Gently, she trailed her thumb along her skin, over the small black numbers that stood still ever since they had met. Rose shivered.

“I always wonder if there are soulmarks on other planets,” Jane said while she drew her finger over the digits. “I mean, there’s got to be aliens somewhere in this universe. Would be fascinating to see if there are similar concepts.”

“What do you think?”

“I don’t know. We still don’t really understand how these things work. All the current research only raises new questions. But I do hope so.”

Rose tilted her head, watching Jane as she squinted at Rose’s soulmark in the dark. There was such a tender expression on her face that Rose’s heart stumbled in her chest.

“Yeah? Why?” Rose asked, her voice low and quiet.

“Just imagine another universe, a different reality. In one of the endless possibilities I might not be from this planet, but I like to think that even then, there would be something that guides me towards you. Something that would tell me that I’ve found the one when we stumble upon each other, against all odds.”

“I’d like to think that we would manage even without soulmarks,” Rose said after a moment of silence. “I mean, there is more to love than just the soulmark, right? It’s a feeling that tells you that you’ve found the right one. Maybe not right from the beginning. Maybe you confuse it with something else for a while. But it’s still there. I mean-”

Rose trailed off, nervously biting her lip, and Jane turned her head to meet her gaze. “Yes?” she prompted.

“When we first met and my soulmark stopped, I said that it wasn’t right. That something had to be wrong,” Rose began, her voice quiet. Jane flinched at her words, trying to pull back a little, but Rose squeezed her hand in an attempt to stop her. “No, wait, let me explain.”

Jane stilled. She was still tense, silently waiting for her to continue.

“I’ve been so wrong about this. I thought you couldn’t be my soulmate, no matter what the numbers said, but this - being here with you - it just feels right. It feels like this is exactly like it’s supposed to be. And I said I didn’t want it, but right now, there is nowhere I’d rather be. So yeah, it wasn’t my soulmark that told me that we belong together, but what I’m feeling now certainly does.”

Rose let out a long breath. She turned to her side, tearing her gaze away from the night sky. Jane was watching her, astonishment and adoration clear in her features, and with the soft moonlight on her face Rose thought she had never looked more beautiful. Jane’s lips curled into a smile as their eyes met. Rose couldn’t help but grin back, adrenaline coursing through her veins and making her dizzy. And then, just a second later, Jane’s lips were on hers.

Rose gasped into the kiss, eagerly leaning into Jane’s touch. Jane’s lips moved slowly over hers, almost shyly, taking her time to absorb every little detail of the kiss. Rose was doing the same, relishing the softness of Jane’s lips, enjoying how her breath tickled over her skin. The gentle motions made her head swim. For a moment, it felt like the whole world shifted around her, whirling faster and faster, but then everything clicked into place. Rose kissed back, curling her fingers into Jane’s hair and pressing her body closer.

All too soon, Jane pulled back from the kiss and left Rose craving for more. She’d barely gotten a taste of the kiss and longed to dive back right in an instant, to taste, to feel, to explore until they were both out of breath and so closely entwined they didn’t know where one body began and the other ended.

Jane rested her forehead against Rose’s, her eyes closed. Her fingers stroked her face, so gently that all the urgency drained out of Rose. Instead she pulled Jane closer to wrap her arms around her. Jane didn’t hesitate a second to move into the embrace and buried her nose in the crook of Rose’s neck, letting out a content hum.

“Was that okay?” Jane asked quietly and Rose pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

“Of course,” she said. “Wouldn’t mind if you do that again.”

Rose felt Jane’s smile against her skin.

“Will do,” she whispered.


	7. Chapter 7

Rose wasn’t sure what woke her in the middle of the night. She blinked her eyes open, her pulse quickening for a second when she didn’t recognize the room around her. But then her memory came back with a rush, and a breathless laugh left her lips. She was in Jane’s bedroom, and the other woman was sleeping right next to her.

Rose remembered the kiss under the stars, sweet and chaste and perfect, and how they had held each other close, their limbs entwined, whispering words of affection in the dark. They had stayed like that for a long time, neither of them willing to let go, but eventually they had to make their way back to London. Still not ready to be apart, Rose had went home with Jane and they had fallen into bed, both exhausted after the day and the long drive. After stealing one last goodnight kiss they had fallen asleep, next to each other and their hands still linked between them.

A smile spread on Rose’s lips. She rolled over to face Jane, and that was the moment when the noise that woke her in the first place sounded again. A quiet whimper, strangled and panic-stricken. With a start, Rose sat up.

Jane’s face was scrunched up, sweat covering her forehead. Her breathing quickened and she squeezed her eyes shut. She looked so tense, more than ready to bolt any second, that Rose didn’t dare to touch her in the first moment.

“Jane?” she whispered, unsure if the other woman was awake, her fingers hovering just inches over Jane’s shoulder.

“Rose!” Jane exclaimed with a sob and Rose startled.

Jane tossed around on the bed, but her eyes remained firmly closed. She was still asleep. Gently, Rose curled her fingers around Jane’s upper arm to keep her from thrashing around and hurting herself.

“Jane!” she said again, louder this time, shaking her shoulder until finally Jane’s eyes flew open. The sheer panic in them made Rose’s heart clench with sympathy. Jane flinched away from her touch, looking around wildly, and scrambled back until her back hit the wall. Gasping in ragged breaths, she needed a second until her eyes finally settled on Rose. At her sight, her shoulders slumped as all the tension left her body. She stifled a sob and clasped a hand over her mouth, her tears spilling over and streaming down her cheeks.  
“Sorry,” Jane whimpered, squeezing her eyes shut.

“It’s all right,” Rose said through the lump in her throat. She reached out to Jane but stopped, unsure if her touch would be welcome. “Can I… d’you need a hug?”

Jane nodded silently and Rose darted forward, wrapping her arms around Jane’s shaking body. Without hesitation Jane curled into her side, hiding her face in the crook of Rose’s neck, and clung to her so tightly Rose thought she never wanted to let go again. Whispering words of comfort in her ear, Rose gently stroked her back until Jane slowly calmed down. The tears stopped and the trembling eased, and finally her breathing returned to normal. Rose pressed a kiss to the side of her head.

“All right?” she asked quietly and Jane nodded.

“Yes,” she said without pulling back, her lips pressed against Rose’s skin. “Sorry about that.”

“It’s okay, really,” Rose reassured her. Gently, without breaking the embrace, she moved the two of them into a lying position so they could stretch out on the bed instead of sitting hunched against the wall. “Was it a nightmare?”

Jane simply nodded, but said nothing. With careful motions, Rose combed her fingers through her hair.

“D’you want to tell me about it?” she finally asked after a moment of silence.

Jane heaved a sigh. “No, not really,” she mumbled.

Rose stilled. “Jane, you said my name. When you were dreaming.”

After a second of hesitation, Jane pulled back, just enough to see Rose’s face. For a moment she simply studied it, letting her gaze wander over her features until their eyes met. Her hands trembling, Jane reached out and clasped Rose’s face in hers.

“I keep dreaming that you disappear,” she admitted quietly, brushing her thumbs over Rose’s cheeks. “I dream that you turn around until I can’t see your face and then you just walk away and disappear. And you never come back.”

Rose’s heart broke at the tears pooling in Jane’s eyes and the tremor in her voice.

“But I’m here,” she said, placing her hands over Jane’s. “I’m here and I’m not going anywhere.”

“But you-” Jane stopped abruptly, tearing her gaze away. Blood was rushing in Rose’s ears. She knew what Jane had wanted to say.

“I know I did,” Rose said, blinking away tears as well. “And you know I’m sorry.”

“I’m not blaming you.”

“You should.”

Jane shook her head. “No. Rose, it’s not your fault. And I’m simply not dealing well with people… leaving me.”

“I’m not leaving,” Rose said with determination. “Jane, look at me. I promise I’m not. Not anymore. You’re stuck with me. Forever, if that’s what you want.”

Jane finally smiled and raised her eyes towards Rose’s. “Yes,” she said, her voice husky. “That’s exactly what I want.”

“Good. Then I’m staying right here at your side.”

Rose grinned, curling her fingers around the seam of Jane’s shirt before pulling her lips towards hers. Jane melted into the kiss, eagerly pressing closer. This was different than the kisses they had shared before. Before, their kisses had been chaste, but this was passion and pleasure and maybe just a hint of desperation. Rose hands wandered into Jane’s hair, scraping over her scalp, and Jane groaned into Rose’s mouth. Jane placed one hand at the back of Rose’s neck to gently keep her in place, while the other one wandered down to her hip to pull her flush against her. Rose gasped, opening her mouth in invitation, and almost shyly Jane’s tongue snuck out, trailing along Rose’s bottom lip until Rose was ready to beg for more. She tugged at Jane’s hair, letting her know her impatience, and Jane smiled against her mouth before she rolled over until Rose was on her back. Without hesitation Jane’s lips were back on hers and she finally deepened the kiss, until every last coherent thought had left Rose’s head.

~~~

The next time Rose woke, it was to gentle fingers stroking the bare skin of her stomach where her shirt had ridden up, and to a pair of lips pressed against her neck. She let out a content hum, letting the soft caress pull her out of sleep. Shifting back, she snuggled closer to Jane until her back hit Jane’s chest and Jane tightened her grip around her waist.

“Good morning,” Jane said, her voice low and rumbling in Rose’s ear. A bright grin spread on Rose’s lips.

“Mhh. Morning,” she mumbled, tilting her head to give Jane better access as she returned her lips to her neck. Rose finally opened her eyes properly and blinked into the light falling through the curtains, brighter than she expected.

“How long did I sleep?” she asked, confused for a second.

“It’s half past ten,” Jane answered, burying her nose in Rose’s hair. “We did went to bed pretty late though. And I kept you awake half of the night. Sorry about that.” Rose stilled for a second, and Jane rushed to explain. “The nightmare, I mean. Not the kissing.”

“You had me scared for a second,” Rose laughed, turning in Jane’s arms until they were face to face. Jane smiled at her, in such a soft way that Rose’s heart skipped a beat.

“I’m definitely not sorry about the kissing.” As soon as the words had left her lips, Jane pressed her mouth to hers. Rose grinned into the kiss, exhilarated that snogging was actually a thing they were doing now. She readily opened her mouth for Jane, pulling her closer.

When they were both breathless and giddy on endorphins they eventually pulled apart. Rose curled into Jane’s side, resting her head on her shoulder and one leg between Jane’s. The naked skin of Jane’s legs meeting hers sent a shiver down her spine. With a content hum Jane pressed a kiss to the crown of Rose’s head and combed her fingers into her hair.

“So, uh… what are your plans for today?” Jane asked after a moment of comfortable silence, a hint of nervousness in her voice. Rose looked up, as best as she could in her current position, and raised an eyebrow at her.

“Are we not staying in bed all day?” she teased, grinning when a blush spread on Jane’s cheeks.

“I- we’re-” Jane spluttered before taking a deep breath. “I mean, I would love to. I’m afraid I promised my gramps that I would stop by this afternoon.”

“Oh.”

“I was just wondering… do you want to come? Come with me, I mean.” The blush on Jane’s cheeks deepened and Rose giggled.

“Sure, if you want me to,” she said, hiding her smile against Jane’s shoulder.

Jane finally looked down at her. Something sparkled in the depths of her eyes. “Oh, yes. That will be the first time I can introduce you as my soulmate _and_ my girlfriend. I’ve been looking forward to that.”

Rose stilled, replaying the word in her head. She had thought of Jane as her soulmate for a while now, but girlfriend, that was new.

“That’ll be the first time I can introduce someone as my girlfriend,” she whispered in awe. “I like the sound of that.”

Jane chuckled, a happy, carefree sound. “First time for me as well.”

“What? There’s never been anyone else?”

Jane scrunched up her nose. “Nah. Never really saw the point, not when my soulmate was still out there. Never really felt the desire to do anything with someone else. I didn’t really get all this stuff,” Jane explained, gesturing wildly with her hands around them, “until I met you.”

“So I’m your first girlfriend?” Rose asked, grinning widely.

Jane reached out for Rose’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “Yep. Just as a warning, I might be a bit rubbish at this.”

“I think you’re doing just fine. And… your gramps, is he okay with- I mean, with me? Being a woman and all that?” Rose stuttered, nervousness fluttering in her stomach.

After a second of silence Jane shifted until they were facing each other properly. She cupped Rose’s cheek and the sincerity in her eyes alone was enough to calm Rose. “Rose, Wilf is just… brilliant. He’s the one who raised me after my parents died. He will be delighted to meet you, I promise.”

Rose was quiet for a second. “I didn’t know your parents died.”

Jane’s smile was sad, just for a moment. “It was a long time ago. It’s fine, really. Well, most of the time.”

“My dad died when I was a baby,” Rose said quietly. Jane tightened her grip around her waist and sucked in a sharp breath.

“I’m sorry,” she said, pressing a kiss to Rose’s forehead. Rose smiled, curling her fingers into the hem of Jane’s shirt.

“There’s still a lot we don’t know about each other, isn’t there?” she said.

“I suppose. But that’s how it usually works with soulmarks, isn’t it? People get together when they barely know each other, just because their counters stopped. Doesn’t exclude us, although we have taken the longer route compared to most people. I still have so many questions about you, Rose Tyler.” Jane leaned down with a smile, gently pressing her lips to Rose’s.

Rose hummed into the kiss, pleasure pooling low in her belly. “We have all the time in the world to get to know each other now, don’t we?” she said when they pulled apart. She gently traced the freckles on Jane’s cheek with her fingertips. Jane grinned, her eyes crinkling.

“Yep. And I would like to start immediately.”

“I thought we have plans for today?” Rose asked, giving her a tongue touched grin. This time, Jane didn’t try to hide how her eyes flickered down to her mouth. Jane gulped, her tongue sneaking out to wet her lips.

“Mhh, but not now. Later?” she said distractedly.

With one swift movement Rose rolled them over and straddled Jane’s hips. She clasped their hands together, enjoying the mix of surprise and arousal on Jane’s face. Her gaze fell on Jane’s soulmark, the small black numbers on the inside of her wrist, and the pure happiness that she was finally together with her soulmate made her head swim.

“Yes. Definitely later,” she said and pressed her lips back down to Jane’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand we're done! I hope you all enjoyed the ending. Thank you for reading and if you can, please leave a review because that's what keeps me writing - so it's a win-win for all of us ;)
> 
> Special thanks goes to asmilelikestarlight/ofhopesanddreams for the beta and all the support during this story! :)


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